Strikeforce feedback: Henderson vs. Fedor

Sunday, 31 July 2011 14:39

Worst Fight-Alexis Davis vs Julie Kedzie Best Fight-Henderson vs Fedor Overall a bad show. It started with a couple of fun prelims (the two fat guys and the Pamplona KO) but once the main card started it was all downhill from there. The saving grace was Henderson vs Fedor. The atmosphere was just amazing. As Fedor lost the Russian contingent surrounding me lost their crap. Their reaction and atmosphere definitely saved the show for me. As mentioned overall a bad show. Couple of highlights but mostly just a boring show. At least I got to meet Coughlin. Steven Brinn

Thumbs up!

Best Fight: Dan vs Fedor

I thought this was one of the best fights of the year as both guys came out swinging. I loved the finish especially when it looked like Hendo was done. I did however think the finish was a little premature.

Worst Fight:

Scott Smith vs Terec

Mark Black

Pittsburgh, PA

Thumbs UpBest Fight: Fedor vs. HendoWorst Fight: None:

1) Scott Smith vs. Tarec Saffadine: Scott Smith really needs to retire. I am really scared for his quality of life. He has taken too many hard head shots over his career and he not learned to move his head. Tarec is one of the top prospects at 170lb and looked great, but before he gets a title shot he needs to have a few more wins over top competition.

2) Tyrone Woodley vs. Paul Daley: Not that exciting of a fight, but the positive was seeing Daley work on his wrestling defense. Daley is an exciting fighter and personality, but always gets eaten up by wrestlers. He still lost here, but he showed much improved defense. Like Saffadine, Woodley is a top prospect at 170lb and he looks to be a guy Scott Coker wants to be his new Welterweight champion. I really think Strikeforce should book a quick 4 fighter tournament to crown a champion.

3) Tim Kennedy vs. Robbie Lawler: Fun fight for the first two rounds. Third round much wasn't happening. Great scrambles in the first two rounds, and I really thought Lawler was going to take this fight. I have never seen him so fast and so confident in the cage before. Glad Kennedy won, as I always thought he should have received a return title match with Jacre. Strong promo after the fight by Kennedy, especially with the wounded warrior foundation that really was awesome. Not sure about his complaining about the judges, I know he was upset, but still probably not a good thing to say you don't like the judges. Its simple, do not leave it in the judges hands.

4) Miesha Tate vs. Marloes Coenen: Good fight, but I was worried that Tate (my favorite to win) was going to gas out. I was just waiting for Coenen to catch her in a choke of some sorts to win it. Happy to see Tate win the title, and even happier to hear the big pop she got from the crowd. I really hope Dana White was listening, because I really think women have a place in MMA and especially in the UFC.

5) Hendo vs. Fedor: What a fight. Fight Of The Year so far for me. It was epic clash of legends and it did not let anyone down. Fedor is too wild, and I can see why he is getting caught. He comes in way too reckless. I was just waiting for Hendo to come straight with a big right to finish him. Was it stopped early? No! Herb Dean made the right call. Fedor was looped. Is this the end of Fedor? I hope not. Fedor seems to be that guy who the fans will always love and respect. I want to see him fight in the cage again. Three losses in a row, so what. Every time he fights, there is a special aura and feel around it. He now has no negotiating power, and not sure he is going to be able to demand the money he has before. Big winner is Hendo. Last fight of his contract, and I honestly won't be surprised to see him in the UFC again. Even though he and Dana White ended with a bad taste in their mouths, both are businessmen and Hendo right now is even hotter then when he KO'd Bisping.

John LaRoccaSan Jose, CA

Thumbs Up

Best Match: Henderson vs. Fedor

Worst Match: Prelim Women's Fight- Extremely Boring

Hey Dave:

Was at the Strikeforce event live so I thought I would give my thoughts. This was the first MMA event that I have been to live and it lived up to all the hype. First I thought that there were a few issues with the set up of the building for the live crowd. There were only two screens set up to see the action in the cage for the live crowd and they were both by the entrance ramp. Therefore, many people who paid 300+ for a ticket spent most of the night looking backwards away from the cage towards the screens set up. Felt like there should have been some screens above the ring. Don't know if this is normal for all MMA events or if it was Strikeforce or the Sears Centre's Issue. As for the fights:

The Prelims were decent for the most part, definitely did there part to get the crowd ready for the main card. One great knock out that no one will ever see unfortunately, but should have taken home best knockout. Also, the one fighter going head first into the cage I will remember for ever.

Scott Smith vs. Tarec Saffiedine:

Fun Fight to start off the main card. Pretty one-sided, but at least there was a lot of action.

Paul Daley vs. Tyron Woodley:

After reading your review of the fight I have to disagree with you about the crowd reacting to the decision. At least in my section we had a lot of pro Daley people and not one person I felt was booing the decision. Everyone in our section had the fight 29-28 Woodley, and the pro Daley people were more booing that Daley waited so late till the end to make his move.

Robbie Lawler vs. Tim Kennedy:

Tim Kennedy cut a great promo at the end, and the crowd ate it up. Everyone loved this fight as it was the battle of wills and the cut on Kennedy's nose added that much more. Fun Fight live and the crowd got super hot at the end and the promo set the tone for the last two fights.

Marloes Coenen vs. Miesha Tate:

Our section popped huge for Miesha and were pro Tate the entire time. I agree that it was not the most exciting of fights, but the submission at the end was a great submission. Crowd went nuts for the win and Miesha's reaction to winning was great. I don't know if it was a star making fight, but she sure came off like one to the live crowd.

Henderson vs. Fedor:

First off the crowd went from about 90% full for all the other fights to 110% full for this fight. The crowd was unreal for this fight. Felt Henderson got the bigger reaction, but Fedor was loved too. Crowd was hot the entire fight and especially for the beginning and ending sequence. We were in big pro Henderson section, but Fedor was not booed but respected. Thought live the fight was stopped early, but after seeing the replays it was absolutely the right call, Fedor was out for a second or two, and came to and turned over, but was definitely knocked out and went limp. No one that I could see was really outraged by the stoppages, especially after the replays. Both men were given long standing ovations in the post match as both were looked like the legions they were portrayed as.

All in all I wouldn't call this a great top to bottom show, but there were some great moments and a great main event. And for the second major show in a row (this and MITB) the Chicago crowd made this event better then it actually was. For sure a Thumbs up Show.

Josh Goldman

So we went on a Riverboat Dinner Cruise Saturday night. After dinner, you could go up tothe observation deck and watch the scenery of the St. Louis/Illinois riverfront as youfloat down the Mississippi.

Let me tell you, there ain't no scenery. It's all industrial, barges, warehouses,quarries, etc. The Mississippi is brown and disgusting and the fun was watching for apiece of driftwood that might hit the boat, or the odd cooler to float by. That wasstanding alongside people drinking, smoking, and talking. Or you could go back to thedining room and enjoy the too-loud ragtime music.

Romantic and relaxing it was not.

We came home and I turned on Strikeforce, which we were recording. Midway through thesecond fight I was desperately wishing I were still on that riverboat. That show was thedrizzling shits, worse than the river itself. By the way, why was Maisha Tate wearing twoquarts of rainbow sherbet? I still haven't figured that one out.

When is the contract with Strikeforce and Showtime end? Because that is the exact momentwhen Dana White will pull the plug on this promotion which is making FCW look like awell-run riverboat.

Fedor? Please. The only tragedy is that Randy Couture wasn't the one who got to flattenhim for all the world to see.

Ironic - Fedor and Strikeforce both could use the Ol' Yeller treatment. Both may havebeen great in their time, but turn, turn, turn, you know?

Mike DeGeorge

Thumbs mostly up.

Best fight: Miesha vs. Marloes

Worst fight: Kennedy vs. Lawler

KO: Hendo, I guess, by default, but...

Sub: Miesha

Tarec vs. Smith was the only noncompetitive fight. Smith IMO is shot and it was a paint job. Props to the one judge for giving Tarec the merited 10-8 in the 2nd and correctly scoring the fight 30-26.

Woodley vs, Daley was interesting if not thrilling, with both guys able to mostly neutralize the other's strong suits. Daley looked career best on the ground and stuffed most of the TDs, but Tyron held his own in the striking and dictated the pace and distance FTW.

Kennedy-Lawler was disappointing as Kennedy looked musclebound and awkward and Lawler just didn't seem to be trying to win.

The girls IMO yet again stole the show. Miesha maintained the pressure even through nearly getting subbed and seeming to gas and and tapped the sub specialist. (Her outfit was really cute, too.)

Hendo and Fedor was fun but not very good. Back and forth but sloppy brawl with a premature, or maybe postmature, stoppage as Fedor did look to be momentarily out from the uppercuts but seemed to be recovered by the time the fight was stopped. Regardless he should retire, as he is another reflexes guy who never really learned technique like Liddell or Roy Jones whose reflexes are and chin are shot and it's only gonna get worse.

And of course they stonewalled the absolute idiocy of cutting Overeem. I wouldn't wanna try to explain it either.

Crimson Mask

Thumbs In The Middle

Best: Fedor vs HendersonWorst: Lawler vs Kennedy

Fedor had more of a complaint that Hendo finished him with punches to the back of the head than an early stoppage. Either way Fedor was done.Strikeforce's roster felt depleted for the first time on this show.

Jonathan Renfro

I give Strikeforce Fedor vs. Henderson a thumbs in the middle. Best match: the main event. It was fast and entertaining and I didn't really expect Henderson to win. This match didn't really have a lot of implications other than Fedor needed to win it, and it leaves him up in the air in terms of opponents. I don't know who I'm interested in seeing Fedor fight now, perhaps Lesnar if that were possible but it's not. Henderson at least has a belt to defend. Tate vs. Coenen was an average fight with a good finish. I also enjoyed Woodley vs. Daley. I had that fight 29-28 for Woodley and I thought it was ridiculous the way that decision got booed. I was surprised that in the Lawler vs. Kennedy fight, Lawler didn't pick up the pace in the third round. Must have been injured like they suggested because he had to chance to take that fight and he didn't. I think a tournament is in order for their welterweight belt.

Jason McNeil

Thumbs up show thanks entirely to the two main events. Not a STRONG thumbs up, but in the plus column overall. The best fight was clearly the main event, because the first three were decision duds and the fourth was going really slowly until Tate got the submission in the fourth. I want to state something as clearly and emphatically as I can - GUS JOHNSON SHOULD BE FIRED. I don't care who has his contract - whether it's Showtime, Strikeforce, or Zuffa - THIS MAN TAINTED HENDO'S WIN. The question about an early stoppage should never have been asked and Ranallo and Shamrock should not have been put in the position of having to defend Herb Dean's decision. To casual fans that makes what should have been a moment Hendo himself called bigger than any title he's ever won now seem like it might have a fluke. GUS IS TERRIBLE AND HE NEEDS TO BE STOPPED BEFORE HE RUINS ANYTHING ELSE.

- Steve Juon (Stevie J)

Dave,

Can people please stop calling Fedor the greatest fighter of all time? Now, I am not saying Chael is right, but man - every great international fighter that has come over here has been a shell of their "legacies." And even worse is him clearly being knocked out and saying the stoppage was early. Nice show overall, was a lot fun. Will be watching more Strikeforce in the future.